The future of
health is here.

Most people don’t hesitate to advocate for the kind of quality service they expect when shopping or dining out. But when it comes to having conversations with their doctors about the quality of lives we want for ourselves, it can be a bit trickier. Some people don’t know what questions to ask. Some people don’t understand how certain treatments might affect their quality of life.

“Ideas like patient preference and quality of life tend to get linked to end-of-life care, but health care providers want to move the conversation upstream,” said Phyllis Hayes-Reams, MD, chief of the department of geriatrics for The Southern California Permanente Medical Group. 

Dr. Hayes-Reams was recently featured in Next Avenue where she provided tips on having a productive conversation with your health care provider.

“Most physicians would welcome the opportunity to know what’s important to the patient, because it gives them some guidance,” she said.

Read more of this article here. 

A new study published in INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing looks at what skills and supports physicians need to work effectively in an integrated delivery system.  The study is co-authored by Joy Lewis, MSW, MPH and Samantha DuPont, MPH, health policy consultants at the Institute for Health Policy at Kaiser Permanente.

As payers demand that U.S health care become more accountable and integrated, existing integrated delivery systems—such as Kaiser Permanente, the Mayo Clinic Health System, and Geisinger Health System—can offer lessons on the day-to-day challenges and opportunities physicians face as their practice environments change. The study conducted focus groups with physicians from the Southern California Permanente Medical Group who had previous experience practicing in less integrated settings and asked about skills, attributes, and attitudes they need to work and succeed in teams within well-integrated, accountable care systems. Results from the study provide key insights and guidance that can help inform a larger policy interest in supporting the movement to improve health care quality and moderate costs through integration of care.

If you want to read the entire study please click here!

If you haven’t visited the Center for Total Health recently, June kicked off this summer with plenty of exciting events.  In addition to the usual health-focused meetings such the National Academy of Social Insurance Gala, IAEE’s Inaugural Educational Event, the Road to Zero Coalition, and the  Healthcare Anchor Network, the center hosted its first gala of the year and several large health care networking receptions.  Other events this month included:

• The National Collaborative on Education and Health steering committee convened at the center to develop the strategic plan for next year of the National Collaborative’s work. This meeting will brought together health and education leaders from across the country to discuss new opportunities surrounding student health while identifying and advancing strategies to create healthier school environments that Kaiser Permanente advocates for in all communities.
• The DC Primary Care Association met to develop a Learning Community amongst participating health centers to achieve the highest quality care for facilities with high consumer usage. The Learning Community includes external partners such as DC hospitals, Social Service providers, and DC Medicaid. In addition, DCPCA has contracted with the Primary Care Development Corporation (PCDC) to facilitate the Learning Community.
• The Team Coaching Toolbox Gathering was held to broaden the community of medical practitioners and leaders to use team development and team coaching in their medical centers. The Toolbox provided an opportunity for participants to share and introduce their work and listen to several guests’ presenters during the gathering.
• The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention Executive Committee Meeting was held to cover an array of topics around suicide prevention and mental health awareness. Guests listened to several keynote speakers from the executive committee and were able to ask these individuals questions surrounding the Alliance’s future plans and current initiatives.

Several internal departments utilized the center as a backdrop for Kaiser Permanente’s Life Care Planning team and Workforce health team.  Some special guests that stopped by this month included government officials such as former Senator Bob Dole and current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director, Dr. Anne Schuchat.  For our guests, two new health observances were highlighted in our bus stop display this June—Men’s Health Month & National Headache/Migraine Month.

As always, we were happy to host and welcomed students, health care leaders, health organization representatives, medical professionals and other guests for tours of our interactive and educational facility.

If you are interested in learning more about hosting events at the Center for Total Health, simply complete an event request form on our website.  We would be happy to help you design a healthy, interactive event in our customizable space that will achieve your meeting goals. 

The National Collaborative on Education and Health steering committee met June 6 and 7 at Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Total Health to to set the priorities for the National Collaborative’s fourth year of work.  Some of the key opportunities the Collaborative will continue to support in the coming year include the following:

• Implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA): ESSA presents a new and important opportunity to more fully integrate student health into education policy and practice. The Collaborative will play an important role in ensuring healthy schools and student health and wellness are supported through ESSA implementation. This will include working with state advocates to develop state ESSA plans that support health and wellness and ensuring school districts receive the guidance and support needed to effectively implement the new law.
• Health systems transformation: Increasing access to school health services has been a key focus of the Collaborative’s work and will continue to be in the coming year. Moving forward, HSC and TFAH will continue to co-convene the Healthy Students, Promising Futures Learning Collaborative which includes 14 state teams working to increase access to school health services through Medicaid reimbursement. Best practices and lessons learned from this work will be shared with the field by members of the Collaborative.
• Additional topics that were discussed at the meeting include the health and education needs of rural students and new and ongoing initiatives to support health and wellness from the U.S. Department of Education and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Today, millions of students are not able to attend school in environments that support the connection between health and learning. They cannot engage in physical activity during the day, their school buildings lack healthy air, access to fresh water, nutritious food and/or a school nurse; all of which are important to supporting academic achievement. On top of that, one out of every four students has one or more health problems, such as asthma or diabetes, that further undermine her ability to focus in school or even attend.

Health and education systems are inextricably linked, yet they are missing key opportunities to work together to support student health and learning. If we can incorporate health and wellness into the school culture and environment, we can help close the academic achievement gap and ensure this generation does not become the first in American history to live shorter, less healthy lives than their parents. Recognizing this connection and acting to strengthen collaboration between the health and education sectors is one of the most important steps we can take to support the success and well-being of the next generation.

This is the driving force of the National Collaborative on Education and Health, a group co-convened by Healthy Schools Campaign (HSC) and Trust for America’s Health (TFAH). Since its launch in February 2014, the Collaborative has brought together over 150 stakeholders including advocates, policymakers, school stakeholders and funders to work towards more fully integrating education and health. This means building schools’ capacity to address the needs that exist today and the needs we can’t yet anticipate. It is also about building the health sector’s capacity to engage the community, including schools, in truly promoting health.

As the National Collaborative moves into its fourth year of work, members look forward to building on its successes and continuing to share the group’s work and highlight the lessons and strategies learned. Learn more: National Collaborative on Education and Health.

The Kaiser Permanente Center for Total Health hosts both internal and external organizations educational events.  All events– annual banquet, quarterly meeting, training, interviews, etc—follow the Healthy Meeting Tools.  The Center for Total Health Staff thrive to create an environment that is both fun and informative.  Most of all, we take great pride in supporting your event and our high guest satisfaction scores prove it. If your organization is interested in hosting an event, please send us an event request located on our website.  We look forward to you joining us!

The Kaiser Permanente Center for Total Health recently welcomed the D.C. Chapter of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events’ (IAEE) for an Inaugural Evening Educational event on Thursday, June 22. It focused on the importance of achieving work-life balance.

The event was kicked off by Priya Saha, a Kaiser Permanente workforce health consultant, whose interactive presentation – “Cultivating Resiliency for Total Well-Being” – walked IAEE members and other guests through ways to practice mindful meditation and tips for personalizing stress relieving activities.

Following the presentation, guests were invited to participate in several activities stationed around the Center.  A popular activity for the night was the “Dodgewall”, a full-body interactive video game displayed on the Center’s large screen.  Additional activities included a healthy smoothie station with a balance of fruits and vegetables in the mix; a heart healthy red wine and dark chocolate dessert bar, as well as  the center’s own Active Rejuvenation Station – a creative use of video gaming for Instant Recess breaks used by guests of the center during day-long meetings.

IAEE organizers were greatly appreciative of the center for hosting the inaugural evening educational event.  Below are some testimonials from the members.

• “I’ve been to several IAEE luncheon events and I have to say that the Kaiser [Permanente Center for Total Health] venue and event was the best I’ve attended.” Kim Bercovitz, President & Chief Exercise Officer of Bytes
• “…tremendously successful Inaugural Evening Education Event. THAT’S what a great event looks like…Well done…Looking forward to next year.” Julie Sullivan, Chair of Sponsorships for the D.C. Chapter and National Sales Manager for Fern

If you are within the D.C. area and work in the event planning industry, please visit the IAEE D.C. Chapter website.  To learn more about hosting an event at the center, please visit our events and tours web page to schedule or tour or to find out more about how the center can help plan a healthier event for your special meeting.

If you are looking to host an event – whether a small meeting, set of interviews, or elaborate gala – the Center for Total Health provides a perfect venue for highlighting innovation in health and how healthcare is delivered. Our staff will work with you on how to create a healthier meeting that is both fun and informative. We have a wide array of event options to make the most out of your gathering. Most of all, we take great pride in supporting your event – and our high guest satisfaction scores prove it. If you are interested in planning an event, please send us an event request via our website.  We look forward to hosting you!

We all try to prepare for life’s major events but, if you suddenly became injured or ill, would you be prepared?  Kaiser Permanente offers a service called Life Care Planning that helps members reflect on their values and beliefs and document future health care decisions in an Advance Directive. This type of planning can help prepare your loved ones to honor your wishes.

Deborah Ahren and Lorraine Griesbach, both with the Mid-Atlantic States Kaiser Permanente Life Care Planning Faculty, said “[Life Care Planning] is important for everyone to start thinking about…you never know what could happen such as a car accident or a stroke. Life often throws curve balls on which the unexpected happens. It is best to be prepared.”

Here are some valuable tips from the Life Care Planning team on planning for your future health care needs:

1. Remember to express YOUR values, hopes and priorities in every decision you make in creating your Life Care Plan.
2.   Select someone you trust, such as a spouse or relative, to be your Health Care Agent and speak for you if you become unable to make health care decisions.  Always choose someone you trust to honor your wishes, such as a spouse or relative. Be sure to go over your advance directive with them verbally and in writing.
3.  Share your advance directive with your physician or health care provider verbally and in writing so they are aware of your desired medical care if you encounter a situation in which you are unable to make your own decisions.
4. Keep in mind 5 “D’s” that are good times to revisit and update your Life Care Plan: Decade, Divorce, Death, Diagnosis and Decline in Health.

If you want to learn more information about Life Care Planning at Kaiser Permanente, please visit the Life Care Planning website.

The Kaiser Permanente Center for Total Health supports various departments and initiatives of Kaiser Permanente and external organizations.  All events– annual banquet, quarterly meeting, training, interviews, —follow the Healthy Meeting Tools created by the Kaiser Permanente.  The Center for Total Health Staff thrive to create an environment that is both fun and informative.  Most of all, we take great pride in supporting your event and our high guest satisfaction scores prove it. If your organization is interested in hosting an event, please send us an event request located on our website.  We look forward to you joining us!

Recently, the Road to Zero coalition hosted “Saving Lives on our Roadways at the Merging Intersection of People & Technology” here at the center.  Speakers and topics included “How Can Safe Systems Compensate for Human Behavior Limitations?” presented by Peter Hancock, director of the MIT²  (Minds in Technology) Research Laboratories from the University of Central Florida and “Modifying the Curve of Future Technology Development with Adoption, Product Development & Gaps in Consumer Education” presented by Chuck Gulash, senior executive engineer from Toyota Motor North American Research Institute and Collaborative Safety Research Center.  Participants broke into groups to begin work on safety priority statements and to advance work on ZERO deaths on our roadways. Breakout groups included the following topics ranked highest in a recent survey:

• distraction
• impairment
• speed
• safety of vulnerable users
• infrastructure
• safety culture/safe systems

The goal is safe mobility for all people and will work to develop priorities; take action individually and collaboratively; and encourage partners and stakeholders to take action to meet the goal of eliminating traffic fatalities by 2050. It might seem like a lofty goal, but key stakeholders think it’s possible.  “The aim of Road to Zero is to get to zero deaths in the next 30 years,” says Debbie Hersman, the president and CEO of the National Safety Council, the lead on the Road to Zero initiative. “That’s the goal. We’ve done this with aviation—there have been several years with zero deaths in commercial aviation—and a lot of people thought that was impossible. We’re really focused on incorporating all of the initiatives that we’ve seen through Toward Zero Deaths, Vision Zero and a number of different groups to get to zero.”

More than 300 organizations have joined the coalition to date and the DOT has committed $1 million a year for three years to fund the various grants and organizations that will be part of the coalition. Road to Zero is a collaboration focused on ending traffic fatalities—a leading cause of unintentional death—on our roadways within 30 years. The National Safety Council leads the initiative as a partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

Click here if you’d like to join and become a member of our Road to Zero coalition; it takes less than a minute to sign up and there is no cost.  Member organizations become a stakeholder in working towards ZERO fatalities on our roadways and become part of the national solution to ending the upward trend of deaths on our roadways.  How little or how much you participate is up to you.

The Road to Zero coalition is looking forward to hosting their next meeting in October at Kaiser Permanente Center for Total Health! The Kaiser Permanente Center for Total Health supports various departments and initiatives of Kaiser Permanente and external organizations.  All events– annual banquet, quarterly meeting, training, interviews, etc—follow the Healthy Meeting Tools created by the Kaiser Permanente.  The Center for Total Health Staff thrive to create an environment that is both fun and informative.  Most of all, we take great pride in supporting your event and our high guest satisfaction scores prove it. If your organization is interested in hosting an event, please send us an event request located on our website.  We look forward to you joining us!

Kaiser Permanente’s Workforce Health team has geared up to offer their annual Mid-Atlantic Summer 2017 Learning Circle, which will cover some of the hottest topics in Workforce Health and Wellness.   While corporate wellness programs have traditionally focused solely on physical wellness, the industry has begun to recognize the importance of incorporating well-being, which looks at the whole person.  Kaiser Permanente wants all Kaiser Permanente employees and members to be aware of proper Workforce Health strategies so they can incorporate healthy choices into their daily work routine.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, having physical activity programs that focus on the entire well-being of an employee at the work site reduced healthcare cost up to 55 percent, reduced short-term sick leave up to 32 percent and increased employee productivity up to 52 percent!  Kaiser Permanente’s Workforce Health team recognizes these benefits and continues to create the healthiest environment for employees as possible. The participants of the June 13 Learning Circle left with practical tips to integrate into their organizations using the five pillars of well-being—spiritual, physical, mental, social and environmental– so that employees are happy, healthy, and productive.

Carrie Peery, MPH, Senior Consultant of Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic Region Workforce Health, shared with the Center some MORE benefits individual employees and business corporations can experience from Workforce Health.

Q: What are some positive impacts a business can have by incorporating beneficial aspects of workforce health strategies into their daily operations?

A: “Recent research indicates by incorporating workforce health strategies you can enhance recruitment and retention of employees, reduce healthcare costs, decrease rates of illness and injuries reduce employee absenteeism, improve employee relations and morale, and finally increase productivity.”

Q: What are some benefits of work site wellness programs?

A: “Weight reduction, improved physical fitness, increased stamina, lower levels of stress, and increased self-esteem.”

Q: What are some ways Kaiser Permanente has incorporated workforce health strategies in their administrative office

A: Through the Kaiser Permanente Healthy Workplace Initiative, we strive to create and maintain a healthy and safe environment that is vital to thriving work space. Below are some cool and original programs offered to Kaiser Permanente employees.”

• • • Breastfeeding Support: Kaiser Permanente supports new moms with a variety of breastfeeding resources such as Lactation Support and Lactation Rooms MAS.
    • Stretch Break Software: Employees can download a PC Software that reminds them to take a break from the computer.
    • Healthy Picks: Throughout the Mid-Atlantic States Region, employees are offered “Healthy Pick” snacks and entrée options at cafeterias and vending machines.
    • Health Talks Online: Kaiser Permanente employees are invited to virtually watch expert physicians and researchers present on the latest in healthy eating, exercise, and stress management.
    • Smoke-free Campus: All Kaiser Permanente locations, including medical offices, are smoke free.

The Kaiser Permanente Center for Total Health uses many positive Workforce Health strategies to create an environment that is both conducive and productive for all employees and guests.  All events– annual banquets, quarterly meetings, trainings, interviews, etc—follow the Healthy Meeting Tools created by the Kaiser Permanente Workforce health team. 

The Center Staff thrive to create an environment that is both fun and informative.  Most of all, we take great pride in supporting your event and our high guest satisfaction scores prove it. If your organization is interested in hosting an event, please send us an event request located on our website.  We look forward to you joining us!

This week, the Healthcare Anchor Network officially launched and expanded its membership to include: Adventist Health, Christiana Care Health System, Cleveland Clinic, Fairview Health Services, Presbyterian Healthcare Services, and VCU Health. The meeting represents the typical kind of convenings that take place at the center every day. At the center, we are dedicated to sharing, developing and accelerating ideas that improve total health around the world. If you are looking for an innovative space to hold your next convening, simply complete an event request form on our website.

For more information on the Healthcare Anchor Network meetings, click here. For more information on how to join the network, contact the Democracy Collaborative.